


sense of home

by lumoshyperion



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Astoria Lives, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, also astoria is alive and thriving do not @ me, just some wholesome fluff because i'm dead inside!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-11 18:16:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20550548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumoshyperion/pseuds/lumoshyperion
Summary: Albus has been invited over to Malfoy Manor to paint a room with Scorpius and his mother, Astoria, and he's feeling a little anxious. But he soon learns that he had absolutely nothing to worry about.





	sense of home

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a scene for my multichapter where Albus meets Astoria for the first time and it just left me wanting more, so this fic happened. Title is inspired by Sense of Home by Harrison Storm - which has made it into two of my Cursed Child playlists because it's just such a beautiful song. Go listen to it if you have a spare moment.

Albus swore under his breath as he rifled through the washing basket, tossing aside clothing as he searched for an elusive grey sweatshirt. He could have sworn he’d thrown it in with his school clothes and other washing, but it was nowhere to be found - and he’d checked everywhere. Frowning to himself, he stood up and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

He was expected at Malfoy Manor in a few minutes and he still wasn’t dressed. It was his first time visiting his best friend’s childhood home and he was, admittedly, a little nervous. He’d been invited over to paint a room with Scorpius and his mother, Astoria, whom he’d only ever shared brief moments with on Platform 9 3/4 at the start and end of each term.

She’d always been nice to him, so he couldn’t say what he had to be so nervous about. Truthfully, he’d been struggling since he and Scorpius returned from time the year before. Where Scorpius had found new confidence and bravery from their experience, Albus had become much more anxious and self conscious. He didn’t know how to talk to people - not that he was very good at that in the first place. But he was worried that Astoria would take it to mean he was disapproving or ungrateful.

Albus was so deep in thought that he didn’t even notice his sister, standing in the doorway, until she spoke, “What are you looking for?”

“Do you remember that grey sweatshirt I wore at Easter last year?” He asked, picking up clothes from the floor and tossing them back into the washing basket. “I can’t find it anywhere and I want to wear it today.”

“Doesn’t it have holes in the sleeves?”

Albus sighed, looking up at Lily. She was still in her pajamas, her rabbit slippers giving him a quizzical look as he explained, “It does, but I’m painting with Scorpius today so I want to wear something I don’t mind getting messy.”

“Have you asked mum yet? She’s in the office, maybe she knows where it is,” she suggested.

He shook his head. “I don’t want to bother her.”

“You’re not bothering her, Albus,” Lily insisted, her voice low and kind. Albus instinctively shied away from it. “Here, wear this.”

He looked up at the blue sweatshirt Lily had picked out of the drier and frowned. “Isn’t that James’? He’ll hex me.”

Lily tossed the shirt to Albus, who caught it clumsily. “He never wears it. He probably won’t even realise it’s his.”

With a shrug, Albus pulled it on over his tank top. The sleeves were too long, so he pulled them up to his elbows, but otherwise the fit was fine. “It’ll do. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

With that, he picked up his overnight bag and made his way out into the hall. “I’ve missed you, Albus,” he heard Lily whisper behind him.

Albus turned and looked at her. She fiddled under his gaze, her words hanging in the air between them. “I’m right here,” he said, taking an uncertain step towards her. And then he knew exactly what to do. He lifted his arms and watched as she rushed into them. He couldn’t even remember the last time they’d hugged. She used to stand on her toes and wrap her arms around his neck when she was younger, until everyone started calling her a little monkey. She didn’t have to reach quite so high anymore, Albus noticed as her hair tickled his nose. “I missed you too, Lil.”

* * *

When Albus stumbled out of the fireplace and into the main hall of Malfoy manor, he barely had a moment to collect himself before a blur of silver hair and blue dungarees barreled into him and nearly knocked him off his feet. It was his second hug of the day and he wasn’t unhappy about that.

“Hello to you, too,” he laughed, wrapping his arms around Scorpius. “You know it’s only been two weeks since we last saw each other, right?”

“Two and a __half__ weeks, Albus!” Scorpius exclaimed, pulling away from him and bouncing on the spot. “Two and a half weeks since we last saw each other.”

“Alright, alright,” Albus replied, smiling as he adjusted the strap of his bag. “Where’s your mum?”

“Upstairs, getting the room ready! Come on!” With that, he scrambled upstairs, while Albus followed at a much more reasonable pace. When they came to the room, he dropped his bag in the doorway and peered inside.

All the furniture had been taken out and the floor covered with plastic. Scorpius tip toed inside, making his way noisily over to his mother, who was standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips as she contemplated the painting tools laid out before her. Then suddenly she looked up at them both and smiled.

“I’m glad you’re here, I have absolutely __no idea__ what I’m doing,” she sighed, motioning to the room at large. “Scorpius said you’re good with paints, Albus?”

He blinked, glancing over at Scorpius. “I’m - okay. But I’ve never painted a room before.”

“I’ve just been trying to get these colours right,” Astoria explained, beckoning him over. She had already mixed some paints in a cauldron, which she showed to him while frowning over an instruction leaflet. “You’re supposed to mix them together, but I think I got the timing or the measurements wrong. We should have just used Muggle paints instead - wizards over complicate everything.”

Albus frowned at the mixture, before glancing over at the leaflet. The paint was enchanted to shift based on the weather outside. There was an image on the leaflet which showed the final colour of the mixture, but the contents of the cauldron were the complete opposite - a deep brown rather than a lush sky blue. “Can you - can you vanish that? And I’ll give it go?” He asked, pointing to the cauldron.

With a wave of her wand, Astoria vanished the mixture, before watching as Albus looked through the jars of paints. There were measuring tools laid out on the floor, but he ignored them and started emptying the contents of the jars into the cauldron, glancing at the leaflet intermittently. But it was like mixing a potion. He instinctively knew how much was needed, and when, and soon the mixture turned into a beautiful azure blue as Scorpius whooped with joy next to him.

Together, they poured the paint into three trays and then took a roller brush each. Astoria insisted that Albus do the honours, so he moved over to the nearest wall and dipped the roller brush in the tray of paint. He lifted it up, inches away from the white wall, and stopped. The paint dribbled on the floor as he glanced, anxiously, over at Astoria and Scorpius.

She smiled and waved an encouraging hand. “Go ahead, Albus.”

Once he got started, it was difficult to stop. There was something so satisfying and joyous about watching the paint spread across the white walls, already starting to shift and change to match the cloudy skies outside. Astoria and Scorpius joined in, and they made quick work of the wall around the doorway before moving on to the one around the fireplace.

There was a patch of wall that Albus was struggling to reach, and Astoria was busy using the long paint roller to get to the upper corners of the room. With a sigh, he stood back and let the paint drip into the tray as he glared at the white space above his head. And then Scorpius grabbed the paint roller, winking at him as he reached up and started filling it in.

Albus crossed his arms and smirked. “You’re such a beanstalk.”

Scorpius poked his tongue out at him in response and then, in an ill conceived attempt at showing off, he stood on one leg and reached ever higher - slapping paint on the wall above the fireplace. But then he lost his balance and toppled backwards. Albus instinctively reached out to catch him, but he was too late and watched as he fell in one of the trays, paint splattering all over them both and covering half the floor.

They both blinked at each other. Then Albus looked over at Astoria, who was staring back at them in silence. But then her expression dropped and she burst into fits of laughter. Next to him, Scorpius struggled to his feet and contorted his body to eye the wet paint covering the backs of his dungarees. His face was bright red and he was laughing, too, and Albus grinned at him. It was the happiest he’d felt in a long time.

They made quick work of the rest of the room, pausing at brief intervals to talk and laugh and delight in each other's company. Albus had always known he could breathe easily when he was with Scorpius, who knew him better than anyone else, but it never stopped him from feeling like a passenger in his own life. Always on the outside, looking in, and never involved in what was happening around him. Sometimes it was easier that way, sometimes it wasn’t, and yet in that moment all he wanted to do was be there - in every sense of the word.

“Scorpius, how on earth did you do that?” Albus turned and saw Draco Malfoy, standing in the doorway and motioning to the bright blue stain on the back of his son’s dungarees.

“It’s all the rage with the kids at Hogwarts,” Astoria chimed in, putting her roller brush aside before moving towards her husband. “Isn’t it, Albus?”

“Oh. Yeah. Absolutely,” he replied, trying not to laugh.

“Then how is it that you’re much cleaner than him?” Draco asked, as Astoria wrapped her arms around his middle. “I don’t see paint all over your trousers.”

“It’s a fashion faux pas we’re working very hard on relieving,” Astoria replied for Albus, before kissing her husband, quick. “You’re home early.”

“My meeting finished early. The room looks good,” he said, observing the swirling blue and white paint on the walls.

“We have Albus to thank for that. Without him, those walls would look very different.” With that, Astoria kissed him again and smiled. “I’ll get cleaned up and see about dinner.”

“No, I’ll do it,” Draco replied, shaking his head as he pulled away from her and looked over at Scorpius and Albus. “Just - get changed before you come down, alright?”

Astoria blinked obediently at him and Scorpius nodded, although his eyes were full of the promise of mischief. They were the spitting image of each other. It was something Albus was almost certain Draco noticed as well, as he smiled at them both before pressing a kiss on his wife’s forehead and heading out the door.

It was only when he turned around that Albus noticed the hand shaped paint marks left on the back of his crisp black robes, although it was abundantly clear from their twin expressions of delight that Astoria and Scorpius had been aware of them all along. “Love you!” Astoria shouted after him.

“Love you, too,” Draco called back.

* * *

The next morning, Draco left early while Albus and Scorpius stayed in bed, so Astoria found herself making coffee for one. Outside the kitchen window, the sun was already out. It had been a warm week. But the mornings were still cold and played havoc with her blood curse, although she was determined not to let it bother her.

Once the coffee was ready, she found a spot at the table where the sunlight was pouring in and sat down - wrapping her hands around the mug and breathing a sigh of contentment. There was still a spot of blue paint on her wrist that she must have missed when she showered the night before. She smiled down at it and took a sip of her coffee.

When she heard the unmistakable sound of someone arriving via the floo network, she turned towards the doorway and frowned. They weren’t expecting the Potters to come pick Albus up until later that afternoon, but who else could it be?

She was about to get up and investigate the noise, when Ginny Potter walked in. She was wearing a Holyhead Harpies shirt and jogging trousers, her red hair a mess about her face. “Hello. Sorry. I know it’s early,” she said, wincing. “I should have sent an owl.”

Astoria looked up at her, knowingly, and asked, “would you like some coffee?”

She gave a relieved nod and sat down on the chair Astoria offered her. As she busied herself finding another mug and fetching the sugar bowl, Ginny talked from her seat at the table, “I know Albus was meant to stay over for the rest of the day, but one of his uncles has just owled and said he can manage the time off work after all and apparate over for a family lunch instead of dinner. We haven’t seen him in months, Albus hasn’t seen him all year.”

Astoria placed a cup of coffee in front of Ginny and sat down, pushing the sugar bowl across the table. She was about to speak when she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. It was Scorpius, standing in the doorway in his green pajamas and snake slippers. “Good morning, sweetheart,” she said. “Is Albus awake yet?”

“No, not yet,” he replied, before looking over at Ginny. “Good morning, Mrs. Potter.”

“Good morning, Scorpius.”

“Should I - should I tell Albus you’re here?” He asked, quietly.

“Yes, if you could,” Ginny responded with a smile, before quickly adding, “but there’s no rush. Let him sleep.”

Scorpius nodded, before plucking two cinnamon muffins from the breakfast tray and heading back out the door - only to return moments later to sheepishly grab two more. Astoria pretended not to notice.

“Did you manage to finish painting the room yesterday?” Ginny asked, suddenly, after Scorpius had left.

“It took us almost the whole day, but yes - we did,” she replied, brushing her fingertips over the paint stain on her wrist. “Albus was a huge help. Thank you for letting us borrow him.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they drank their coffees and picked at the fresh fruit and pastries on the breakfast tray. They’d been in almost constant correspondence over the last few months, especially since Albus and Scorpius’ return from time the year before, and had developed a tentative friendship through their letters and late night floo calls.

Astoria wasn’t surprised by how much she liked Ginny. She’d always admired her pluck and determination in their last years at Hogwarts. Her only regret was that they hadn’t started talking earlier on in their son’s friendship, instead of only coming together after they both went missing.

Those first weeks after Halloween were so tense. And she found herself almost constantly returning to that moment in Godric’s Hollow, when they all returned from time and Scorpius fell into her arms and sobbed. Draco had insisted on her staying behind, refusing to accept any of her arguments. It had been a bad week for her and she could barely stand as she waited for them - underneath a streetlamp, watching the lights go out in the houses around her, one by one. She’d hated every minute of it. It wasn’t something they talked about.

Somewhere in the manor, one of the old clocks struck ten, and Astoria stood up and made her way over to one of the kitchen cupboards. She got out her medicinal potions for the morning and set about preparing them, as Ginny watched from the table.

She drank the first two easily, before coming to the third with a disgruntled frown. It was best if she took it immediately after the others, so she downed it in one go. She must have let out an involuntary groan, as she heard Ginny ask, “is it painful?”

“No. But it tastes of fish, and I hate fish,” she replied, grimacing as the potion slid down her throat and settled in her chest. And then she remembered something and looked over at Ginny. “You know, Albus asked me the same thing yesterday. And then he got this thoughtful look on his face and wrote something down. Scorpius explained to me later, he wants to try and find a new formula for the potion that tastes better without diminishing its qualities,” she paused, watching the expression on her friend’s face. “He’s such a sweet boy, your Albus.”

As if summoned by their conversation, a very sleepy looking Albus appeared in the doorway and squinted at them. He pulled at the hem of his shirt as his mother beckoned him over. “I wasn’t expecting you until later,” he said, and then screwed his eyes shut. “Sorry. Morning.”

“Good morning,” Ginny laughed. “And, I know, but your uncle Charlie was able to come after all, but he can only stay for a few hours so we’re having lunch instead of dinner. You don’t have to come, if you don’t want to.”

Albus opened his mouth to speak, but then frowned and looked away, clearly deep in thought.

Astoria shrugged when Ginny looked over at her before looking back at Albus. “Maybe - Scorpius and his parents can come over for dinner? There’ll be plenty left over from lunch,” she paused, glancing up at Astoria again for approval. She gave her an enthusiastic nod. “You can still see your uncle Charlie and hang out with Scorpius later. How does that sound?”

* * *

After the family lunch at the Burrow, Ginny was stunned to find her children still had the energy to take Scorpius outside when the Malfoys arrived to explore the garden and play a friendly game of Quidditch as the sun set around them. It was an almost impossible task to get them back indoors once dinner was on the table. But they did, tumbling through the door with grins on their faces and grass stains on their knees.

It seemed Lily had taken an immediate shine to Scorpius and was ranting to him about her current favourite book, while he listened in rapt attention. As they all sat down at the table, Ginny caught Scorpius stealing a glance at Albus, who gave him the brightest smile.

Meals at the Burrow were always loud affairs, with at least half a dozen conversations going at once, but Ginny always loved dinners at home much more. And she knew Albus felt the same way, as she watched him throughout the evening.

Once they had all finished dinner, they retired to the lounge room. Harry dragged out a chess board, following a conversation he’d had earlier that evening with Draco - who observed him setting it up with a sardonic expression. To keep the peace, Ginny and Astoria joined in and they spent hours playing game after game in front of the fire.

James, Lily, Scorpius, and Albus had claimed a space of the floor by the window and sprawled across it as they chatted happily over rounds of exploding snap and Muggle board games. When it was getting late and Astoria gave her a look across the chessboard, Ginny glanced over at Albus and Scorpius and almost didn’t want to put an end to the evening.

But even as she watched them, Scorpius gave a loud yawn, and she knew it was time for them to head off. After a few long goodbyes, and Harry loading a bewildered Draco up with plastic containers full of leftover meals, they finally departed via the floo network. Once they’d left, they settled back into the couch and turned the television on, not bothering to clear the chessboard or worry about the dishes in the kitchen. She knew Harry was exhausted. It had been a long week at the ministry, full of late nights and early mornings. It wasn’t long before he’d started dozing off at her side. 

With a sigh, Ginny stood up and stretched her arms. Across the room, Albus had fallen asleep with his head on his brother’s shoulder. Lily was watching something on her phone next to them and James had shuffled across the couch to accommodate his siblings, his arm around his brother and his head turned towards his sister’s phone. She hadn’t seen them together like this in so long. Albus usually retreated to his room on school holidays. James practiced Quidditch in the backyard while Lily was always out with friends.

The family cat was curled up on the back of the couch behind Albus, his head angled towards the warmth of the fire. Lily chose and named him, but he always spent the most time with Albus. Whenever they couldn’t find him - he was usually curled up on the windowsill or at the foot of the bed in the loft room, while Albus was reading or studying.

“My arm is dead, mum,” James groaned, pouting up at her as she scratched behind the cat’s ear. “I haven’t been able to move it for three hours. We’re gonna have to amputate, and it’s all Albus’ fault.”

Lily scoffed and prodded her brother in the stomach. “You’re such a drama queen.”

“Ssh, you’ll wake him up,” Ginny whispered, leaning over Albus and gently lifting his sketchbook from his lap. It was open on a page filled with equations, chemistry, and ingredients both underlined and crossed out. She remembered Astoria taking her potions earlier and flipped through the pages, soaking in her son’s studies and theories. She’d never really excelled at potions in school. Neither had Harry, neither had most of their family. But Albus shined in it.

As she went further back through the sketchbook, the pages became more and more littered with drawings. One of them was splotched with enchanted paint, which swirled through the chemical equations and scribbled notes, blinking in and out of sight as Ginny smiled down at the sketches of Scorpius and Astoria laughing together in the margins.

She glanced down at Albus, still fast asleep on his brother’s shoulder - his expression blissful and content - and fought the urge to brush her hand through his hair or kiss his temple, for fear of waking him up. He could be such a light sleeper at the worst of times. “I have an article to finish by tomorrow morning,” she said. “And your father is having an early night, whether he likes it or not.”

James, who was squinting down at the blue jumper his brother was wearing, looked up at her and shrugged. “I’ll make sure they don’t stay up too late.”

She looked at him and his perfectly unruffled hair and knew exactly what to do. “That’s my boy,” she said, in a sickly sweet tone as she reached over and brushed a hand through his hair, even as he scowled up at her.

“Why?” He hissed, patting his hair down with his free hand. “_Why_.”

“Oh, no, you look hideous now,” Lily contributed, in monotone and without glancing up from her phone. “What are we going to do?”

Next to them, Albus grumbled in his sleep, and they both froze as they looked over at him. But then he sniffed and, after nuzzling further into the crook of his brother’s arm, he went back to sleep. James rolled his eyes and let his head fall back onto the head of the couch, waking up the family cat who gave a soft “mew”, which made Lily giggle.

“Goodnight,” Ginny whispered, with a smile.

And they whispered back, “Goodnight, mum.”

**Author's Note:**

> It was nice to sit down and write something fluffy and short while also fulfilling the "Astoria Lives" prompt of last August. I hope you liked it, let me know if you did in the comments~


End file.
